21C Artists To Watch: October 2011

October 2011 e-newsletter

2011 FALL PREVIEW- Part II

In this issue

Stefan Jackiw's "technically flawless" Beethoven

Brooklyn Rider: Crossing the Bridge to Carnegie Hall

Julian Kuerti: Canadian Homecoming

James Valenti: In Good Company in Convent Garden

Changes at 21C's Artists to Watch

Datebook

Oct 1: Hong Kong

Alessio Bax

Recital

Oct 1: Providence, RI

Brooklyn Rider

First Works

Oct 1: Norwood, NJ

Stefan Jackiw

New York Classical Players

Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante

Oct 1: Cincinnati, OH

Julian Kuerti

Cincinnati Symphony

Copland, Glass, Stravinsky+

Oct 1: Atlanta, GA

Joyce Yang

Chopin Society of Atlanta

Recital

Oct 2: NYC

Stefan Jackiw

New York Classical Players

Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante

Oct 2:Westchester, NY

Joyce Yang

Performers of Westchester

Mozart & Brahms w/Andy Simionescu

Oct 2-6: Beijing

Alessio Bax

International Piano Festival

Recital & masterclass

Oct 3 - 22: London

James Valenti

The Royal Opera

La Traviata (Alfredo)

Oct 5: NYC

Dan Visconti

WMP Concert Hall - Sybarite5

Dan Visconti: Black Bend

Oct 5: Richmond, VA

Dan Visconti

University of Richmond - eighth blackbird

Dan Visconti: Fractured Jams

Oct 7: Greenville, SC

Joyce Yang

Bob Jones U. Orchestra

Rachmaninoff: Piano Cto. 2

Oct 8: Richmond, VA

Brooklyn Rider

VA Commonwealth University

Oct 8 & 9: Columbus, OH

Stefan Jackiw

ProMusica Chamber Orchestra

Beethoven: Violin Cto.

Oct 8-13: Changchun, China

Alessio Bax

Changchun Piano Festival

Recital & masterclasses

Oct 11: Ithaca, NY

Dan Visconti

Ithaca College - eighth blackbird

Dan Visconti: Fractured Jams

Oct 12:Budapest

Joyce Yang

Franz Liszt Chamber Orch.

Beethoven: Piano Cto. 2

Oct 13-16: Sarasota, FL

Brooklyn Rider

Ringling Intl' Arts Festival

Oct 14: New Haven, CT

Stefan Jackiw

Delphi Chamber Orchestra

Beethoven: Violin Cto.

Oct 15: Providence, RI

Joyce Yang

Rhode Island Philharmonic

Ravel: Piano Cto. in G

Oct 15: NYC

Dan Visconti

Miller Theatre - eighth blackbird

Dan Visconti: Fractured Jams

Oct 15: Norwalk, CT

Stefan Jackiw

Norwalk Symphony

Mendelssohn: Violin Cto.

Oct 18: Chicago

Joshua Roman

WFMT "Impromptu"

Oct 18: NYC

Alessio Bax

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Alice Tully Hall

Hummel: Septet

Oct 19 - 22: Wheaton, IL

Joshua Roman

Wheaton College

Residency & Recital

Oct 21, 22: Milwaukee, WI

Julian Kuerti

Milwaukee Symphony

Ligeti, Mozart, Mendelssohn+

Oct 21, 23, 25: Boston

Kelley O'Connor

Opera Boston

Berlioz: Béatrice et Bénédict (Ursule)

Oct 22: Wheaton, IL

Dan Visconti

Wheaton College - Joshua Roman

Dan Visconti: Americana

Oct 22: NYC

Dan Visconti

Cell Theatre - Sybarite5

Dan Visconti: Black Bend

Oct 23: Mamaroneck, NY

Joyce Yang

Singer Hall

Collage CD Release Party

Oct 24: Dallas, TX

Alessio Bax

Distinguished Artists Series

Trio concert w/Emanuel Borok & Andres Diaz

Oct 27: Schenectady, NY

Brooklyn Rider

Union College Concerts

Oct 27, 28: New York, NY

Joshua Roman

City Center - Fall For Dance Festival

"The Swan" with Lil' Buck

Oct 27,29,30: Halifax, Nova Scotia

Julian Kuerti

Symphony Nova Scotia

Schumann, Beethoven, Mendelssohn+

Oct 29: Corning, NY

Brooklyn Rider

Corning Civic Music Assoc.

Oct 29: Toronto, Ontario

James Valenti

Canadian Opera Company

Venetian Ball Gala Concert w/ Nicole Cabell

Oct 30: Atlanta, GA

Joshua Roman

First Presbyterian Church

Bach: Cello Suites

Oct 31: NYC

Brooklyn Rider

Carnegie Hall - Zankel Hall

Beethoven, Glass, Zorn+

Oct 31: NYC

Alessio Bax

New York Yacht Club

Schubert: Trios w/Robert Chen & Jan Vogler

Nov 1

Joyce Yang

Release of solo debut CD, Collage (Avie)

Scarlatti, Debussy, Schumann+

Nov 1: Los Angeles

Dan Visconti

Blue Whale, Little Tokyo - Eclipse Quartet

Dan Visconti: Love Bleeds Radiant

Nov 2,3,5: Toronto, Canada

Stefan Jackiw

Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Mendelssohn: Violin Cto.

Nov 4: London

Kelley O'Connor

London Symphony Orchestra

Honegger: Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher (St. Catherine)

Nov 4,5: Springfield, MA

Joyce Yang

Springfield Symphony Orch.

Rachmaninoff: Piano Cto. 3

Nov 4,11: Helsinki, Finland

Jessica Rivera

Finnish National Opera

Adams: Doctor Atomic (Kitty Oppenheimer)

Nov 9: Milwaukee, WI

Joyce Yang

Milwaukee Symphony Orch.

Tchaikovsky: Piano Cto. 1

Nov 9,10: Ottawa, ON

Julian Kuerti

National Arts Centre Orchestra

Estacio, Mozart, Brahms

Nov 10: NYC

Dan Visconti

The Stone - Eclipse Quartet

Dan Visconti: Love Bleeds Radiant

Nov 11: Tampa, FL

Stefan Jackiw

The Florida Orchestra

Beethoven: Violin Cto.

Nov 11,12: Omaha, NE

Joshua Roman

Omaha Symphony Orchestra

Lalo: Cello Cto. in D minor

Nov 12: Interlochen, MI

Dan Visconti

Interlochen Academy Orchestra

Dan Visconti: Drift of Rainbows

Nov 12: St. Petersburg, FL

Stefan Jackiw

The Florida Orchestra

Beethoven: Violin Cto.

Nov 12: Fort Worth, TX

Alessio Bax

Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth, TX

Museum of Modern Art

Nov 13: Mamaroneck, NY

Joyce Yang

Singer Hall

Chamber music w/Alexander String Quartet

Nov 13: Clearwater, FL

Stefan Jackiw

The Florida Orchestra

Beethoven: Violin Cto.

Nov 14: NYC

Joyce Yang

Miller Theatre, Columbia U

Double Stop Foundation's Gala Concert

Nov 15: St. John's, NL, Canada

Julian Kuerti

National Arts Centre Orchestra

Estacio, Mozart, Brahms

Stefan Jackiw's "technically flawless" Beethoven

Stefan Jackiw is coming off of an immensely successful summer, during which he was praised for his "liquid tone, phenomenal technique and intelligent musicianship" (Aspen Times) at the Aspen Music Festival and his "technically flawless" (Columbus Dispatch) season-opening performance of the Beethoven concerto with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra.

His stellar season continues in November at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra under conductor Christoph Koenig in a performance of the Mendelssohn violin concerto. When Jackiw played Mendelssohn with the Baltimore Symphony and Marin Alsop in 2010, the Baltimore Sun wrote that the "radiant quality of Jackiw's playing provided consistent pleasure throughout the work." Other season highlights include debut engagements with the Rotterdam Philharmonic and music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin as well as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under Nicholas McGegan; a return to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; and recitals at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and Chicago's Orchestra Hall.

Selected season highlights:

Nov 2-5: Toronto Symphony/Christoph Koenig (Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto)
Mar 21: Rotterdam Philharmonic (debut)/ Yannick Nézet-Séguin (Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto)
May 5: Kennedy Center - Washington Performing Arts Society (Recital: Stravinsky; Brahms; Strauss)
May 23-27: Atlanta Symphony [debut]/Nicholas McGegan (Bruch: Scottish Fantasy)
June 3: Chicago Symphony presents (Recital w/Jeremy Denk, piano)
June 7-8: Chicago Symphony/Trevor Pinnock (Beethoven: "Triple" Concerto)

For more information, visit StefanJackiw.com, his YouTube channel or the Opus 3 Artists web site.

Brooklyn Rider: Crossing the Bridge to Carnegie Hall

In a highly anticipated concert - named one of WQXR's "20 Concerts To Hear This Fall" - Brooklyn Rider make their Carnegie Hall debut on October 31 with a concert in the venerable venue's subterranean performance space, Zankel Hall. Veteran critic Justin Davidson included this concert in New York magazine's fall preview "because the boys of this intrepid string quartet back up talent and forward-thinking programming with a tangible sense of fun - and will take the Zankel stage in October to play the first piece they wrote together, plus Zorn, Glass and Beethoven."

"With Seven Steps, we've been working on creating our own piece, kind of like a rock or jazz band would, inspired by Beethoven's sketches for Op. 131," Brooklyn Rider violinist Johnny Gandelsman said in a recent interview. By design, it shares a seven-part structure with the Beethoven, and much of the piece will be improvised during performance within the "road map" the musicians have planned.

This season, Brooklyn Rider make their first tour of China with stops in Beijing and Hong Kong, followed by a multi-city US tour that culminates with a concert in Washington, D.C. The Dumbarton Concert Series features one of the ensemble's signature programs, which mixes music from the standard repertoire with a new work by Ljova written for Brooklyn Rider.

Selected season highlights:

Oct 31: New York City / Zankel Hall
November: China tour (including Beijing & Hong Kong)
January/February: U.S. tour (NC, CA, AZ, OR, MS, WI, CT, SC, NC & NY
Feb 25: Washington, D.C. / Dumbarton Concert Series

For more information, visit BrooklynRider.com, the group's YouTube channel,or the Opus 3 Artists Web site.

Julian Kuerti: Canadian Homecoming

Following two prominent U.S. appearances this month, conductor Julian Kuerti heads back to his native Canada in November for his third engagement with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa and a tour through all four Atlantic Canada provinces. The Cincinnati Enquirer called Julian Kuerti a "confident leader with a charismatic presence on the podium" after his most recent return to the Cincinnati Symphony.

Last weekend, Kuerti made his Milwaukee Symphony debut in a program exploring several centuries of music through pieces inspired by three European destinations: Mozart's "Prague" Symphony No. 28, Mendelssohn's "Scottish" Symphony No. 3, and Ligeti's atmospheric look at Romania, Concert românesc. "Kuerti led the MSO through it with fascinating dynamic details," wrote the Journal Sentinel. Third Coast Digest praised "Kuerti's nuanced phrasing," adding that "throughout this symphony, the young Canadian conductor knew just what he wanted from Mendelssohn and the MSO, and he got it."

Selected fall highlights:

Oct 21 & 22: Milwaukee Symphony [debut]
(Ligeti, Mozart, Mendelssohn)
Oct 27, 29 & 30: Halifax; Symphony Nova Scotia
(Schumann, Beethoven, Schubert/Berio, Mendelssohn)
Nov 9 & 10: Ottawa; National Arts Centre Orchestra
(Estacio - new work, Mozart, Brahms, Hetu, Beethoven)
Nov 14-25: Atlantic Canada tour; National Arts Centre Orchestra (Estacio - new work; Mozart, Brahms)

For more information, visit JulianKuerti.com or the IMG Artists web site .

James Valenti: In Good Company at Covent Garden

James Valenti After spending the first half of 2011 relishing portrayals of operatic rogues such as the Duke of Mantua in Verdi's Rigoletto and Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly, American tenor James Valenti found himself in glittering company this autumn during his Royal Opera House run as Alfredo in Verdi's La Traviata, for which he joined Marina Poplavskaya and Leo Nucci. While in London, Valenti stepped into the title role of Gounod's Faust, replacing Vittorio Grigolo for two performances opposite Angela Gheorghiu, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and René Pape. Valenti will also be heard as a featured singer on Angela Gheorghiu's upcoming CD, Homage to Maria Callas, to be released on November 7. In December, Valenti appears as Lt. Pinkerton at the Palm Beach Opera.

From January 28-February 5, 2012, Valenti performs the title role in Jules Massenet's Werther at the Minnesota Opera. Watch a clip of Valenti rehearsing "O Nature" from his Werther debut in Tokyo in 2009. Further reprises of Alfredo follow at the Bavarian State Opera (a company debut for Valenti) and with his return to Dallas Opera.

Selected season highlights:

Oct 3-22: The Royal Opera, Covent Garden (Alfredo in La Traviata)
Dec. 16-19: Palm Beach Opera (Lt. Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly)
Dec 31: Mikhailovsky Theatre of St. Petersburg; Russia (New Year's Eve Gala; Vasily Petrenko, cond.)
Jan 28-Feb. 5: Minnesota Opera (title role in Werther)
Feb 14-26: Bavarian State Opera (Alfredo in La Traviata)
Apr 13-29: Dallas Opera (Alfredo in La Traviata)

For more information, visit JamesValenti.com, his YouTube channel or the IMG Artists web site.

Photos: Lisa-Marie Mazzucco (Jackiw), Sarah Small (Brooklyn Rider), Dario Acosta (Kuerti, Valenti)

Changes at 21C's Artists to Watch

The October 21C Artist to Watch newsletter introduces the program's new manager, Max Lefer. 21C Media Group's Senior Consultant, Wende Persons, will remain with the program in an advisory role while leading other projects and initiatives for 21C Media Group.

About 21C Artists to Watch

21C Artists To Watch is an image- and awareness-building program for artists on the brink of major careers in classical music. Each month, 21C Media Group publishes an e-newsletter profiling several members of this select group and highlighting their recent and upcoming activities.

Read past newsletters here.

For inquiries regarding 21C Artists To Watch, please contact:

Max Lefer

Artists To Watch Program Manager

Phone (646) 532-4378;

click here to e-mail